59 courses with the subject ANTH, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ANTH 101General Anthropology4
This course is an introduction to the discipline of anthropology as a whole. It presents students with a theoretical grounding in the four major subfields: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. In this class the emphasis is on the holistic nature of the discipline. Students will be challenged with some of the countless links between the systems of biology and culture. They will explore key questions about human diversity in the past, present, and future.
Not open to students who’ve taken ANTH 111 . Every year. (4 Credits)
ANTH 111Cultural Anthropology4
The cultural perspective on human behavior including case studies, often illustrated by ethnographic films and slides, of non-Western and American cultures. May include some field interviewing. Includes the cross cultural treatment of economic, legal, political, social and religious institutions and a survey of major approaches to the explanation of cultural variety and human social organization.
Not open to students who’ve taken ANTH 101 . Every semester. (4 Credits)
ANTH 112Archaeology and Human Origins4
The origin and development of prehistoric peoples and cultures. The concepts, methods, and theories of prehistoric archaeology, human paleontology, and human biology as a framework for examining the fossils and artifacts left by humans. Course includes films and the use of casts and slides to illustrate concepts. Alternate years.
This class is a broad survey covering topics such as genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, adaptation, primate studies, the human fossil record, and human variation. All of these areas will be placed within the framework of the interaction of humans within their environment. The course is divided into three sections: human genetics, human ecology and primatology, human evolution and adaptation. Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as LING 206 Language loss is accelerating at alarming rates. In fact, Linguists predict that only five percent of the six thousand languages currently spoken in the world are expected to survive into the 22nd century. In this course, we will examine the historical, political, and socio-economic factors behind the endangerment and/or marginalization of languages in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. We will also concentrate on the globalization of English (and other major languages), which plays a primary role in language endangerment and marginalization. Additional topics include: linguistic diversity, language policy, multilingualism (in both nations and individuals), global language conflict, and language revitalization. Students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about these issues by interviewing speakers of an endangered and/or minority language. Offered every third year.
Cross-Listed as CLAS 223 This course introduces students to archaeology, the study of the material remains of human culture. Students will explore the history of the discipline and profession, its basic methods and theories, and the political and ethical dimensions of modern archaeological practice. Students learn to examine and interpret evidence using specific examples, from artifacts to sites to regions. Every year.
Cross-Listed as ENVI 225 and LING 225 Human beings have an unprecedented ability to shape the environment around them, yet the environment powerfully shapes both individuals and species. Two main questions run throughout this course: 1. How does language influence the way we think about and perceive nature, which in turn influences the way we interact with and shape nature? 2. How has our environment shaped the Language faculty and individual languages? To answer these questions, we’ll start by asking, what is language and what is nature? Then we’ll turn to the way that our environment has impacted the evolution of Language. Next we’ll look at indigenous knowledge as it is encoded by language and the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, which says that language influences the way we perceive the world. With this as background, we’ll look at the language of environmental discourse. Next, using the metaphor of ecology, we’ll examine languages as if they were organisms and analyze the ecosystems that sustain them. Knowing what makes a healthy language, we’ll look at endangered languages and the connections between linguistic diversity and biodiversity. Every year.
ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 . Every other year. (4 Credits)
ANTH 239Medical Anthropology4
This course examines issues of health, illness, and healing from a variety of anthropological perspectives. From a cross-cultural perspective, we will examine the diversity of beliefs about human health and sickness, and a variety of healing practices by which people treat them. From the perspective of critical epidemiology, we will wrestle with recurrent problems of socioeconomic inequalities, ecological disruptions, and their impact upon the differential distribution, prevention, and treatment of human diseases. Alternate years.
One of the following: ANTH 101 , ANTH 112 , ANTH 115 , ANTH 223 , BIOL 112 , BIOL 190 , or BIOL 200 . (4 Credits)
ANTH 241Anthropology of Death and Dying4
This course examines the dying process and the ways that humans beings come to terms with their mortality in different societies. We will learn how people die in major illnesses and critically analyze controversial issues regarding brain death, suicide, and euthanasia. We will survey funerary traditions from a variety of cultures and compare the social, spiritual, and psychological roles that these rituals play for both the living and the dying. We will examine cultural attitudes towards death; and how the denial and awareness of human mortality can shape social practices and institutions. Finally, we will consider issues regarding the quality of life, the opportunities and challenges of caregiving, and hospice traditions around the world. Offered alternate years.
ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 . Alternate years. (4 Credits)
ANTH 248Defense Against the Dark Arts4
This course uses the lens of cultural anthropology to examine witchcraft and magical traditions around the world. Major topics include psychosomatic healing, the social roles of shamans and possession mediums, recurring themes in witchcraft accusations, and the psychoanalysis of Harry Potter. Throughout these topics, we will wrestle with the distinctions between science, religion, and magic while gaining an appreciation of historically marginalized beliefs and practices. The course employs a combination of lecture and film as well as small group discussions and research presentations. Alternate spring semesters.
Cross-Listed as INTL 258 and MCST 258 This course provides an introduction to Middle Eastern history, politics, and cultural life through the lens of film. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the development of both local and regional cinematic traditions; the role of film in the production of collective memory of conflict and war; techniques and visual rhetorics of ethnographic film; and the power relations inherent in the cinematic gaze. Readings will offer an introduction to methods of film analysis as well as to the political and artistic history of the modern Middle East. Offered occasionally
Cross-Listed as LATI 251 This course examines and critically analyzes various approaches to the study of how different individuals and communities in particular historical and cultural scenarios in contemporary Latin America create meanings about their past experience with political violence. The course addresses questions related to the tension between remembering and forgetting, the presence of conflicting memories and truths and how these are negotiated or not through distinct forms of representation. The cultural analysis of different means of representation: human rights and truth commission reports, testimonials, film, art and memorials will be the basis for class discussions on different notions of truth and different forms of truth-telling. A close examination of these forms of representation will reveal the extent to which they can conflict with each other while at the same time feed on each other, creating “effects of truth” and leaving room for secrecy as a mode of truth-telling. Finally, the course will also compel students to think about what consequences the politics of memory have for the future. Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as INTL 253 This course examines the Qur’an and hadith, and other authoritative texts that ground Islamic jurisprudence, and explores the diverse ways in which Muslims have understood and interpreted these teachings in locations across the world (i.e. Indonesia, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and the United States) and at various points in history.
ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 . Alternate years. (4 Credits)
ANTH 260Digital Cultures4
Cross-Listed as INTL 260 In the early days of the internet, many people predicted that the increased speed and scale of communications would make for a more homogenous world. Now, decades later, we see something different: a proliferation of cross-fertilizing cultures, sub-cultures, and counter-cultures online. This course explores some of this rich variety, studying online social worlds (from influencers to hacktivists) and the ways in which IT-informed ways of being seep into social life offline (from ideologies of innovation to algorithmic oppression). Critically deploying the concept of culture and the tools of ethnography to understand these emergent formations, this course will pay particular attention to difference and power while situating “the digital” in international context. Every year.
ANTH 263Things with Feathers: Birds in Science, Culture and Myth4
Birds are among the most visible and colorful members of the natural world. Across societies and over time, that fact has generated considerable human engagement with and awareness of birds, which have been utilized for both utilitarian and symbolic purposes. This course introduces you to the knowledge that different cultures have of birds, and to their formal scientific study in modern times. The topics we will examine include the place of birds in myth and religion; indigenous ways to classify birds; how local traditions relating to birds can serve as models for conservation; the relationship of local and traditional knowledge to the development of modern ornithology; the colonial roots of ornithology; and the part played by amateur birders and other non-professionals in the emergence of ornithology as a science. The course includes a number of field trips, to birding sites to develop our own engagement with birds as wild things, and to museum collections, to understand the scientific value of birds as dead things. Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as CLAS 270 Archaeology in the United States is no longer practiced exclusively by universities and museums. In fact, since the 1970s, the vast majority of archaeological projects undertaken involve individuals employed in either private industry or with the federal or state government. This shift toward cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology transformed the traditional role of archaeology practiced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So what changed? This course explores the role of public archaeology in the United States through an examination of the laws and practices dictating the protection of historic properties, consultation with descendant communities, and the design of archaeological management plans. Occasionally offered.
Cross-Listed as RELI 311 The word “ritual” is used in many contexts to refer to types of practice that are considered centrally important, as well as formalistic and repetitive. This seminar-style course concentrates on the concept of ritual as a central component of social practice, within and without religious groupings. Focusing on developing the concept of ritual, we will focus on ritual across traditions. This requires students to ‘work with’ concepts - forming a conception of what they mean by ritual, and be willing to change that conception when faced with contradictory evidence. Offered alternate years.
Cross-Listed as INTL 335 From Italian Mafia dons to famous American philanthropists; from the knitting of “trauma teddies” in Helsinki to gift shopping in London; and from ceremonial exchange rings in Melanesia to the present day global refugee crisis: this course will investigate how generosity is understood and practiced in global perspective. We’ll begin the semester by examining key debates surrounding reciprocity, gifts, and exchange, theories of altruism and generosity, and patron-client relations. We’ll then explore the birth of the “humanitarian spirit,” and the complicated ethics and politics of humanitarian intervention. We will compare diverse religious traditions’ approaches to giving, including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism. And we’ll explore contemporary debates surrounding volunteerism within sectarian and neoliberal political regimes. Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as MUSI 405 This course introduces students to the field of ethnomusicology through its philosophical foundation, theoretical models, and disciplinary practices. Topics include comparative approach, structuralist/functionalist models, cultural relativism, organology, bi-musicality, reflexivity, post/modernism, among other recent research directions. Assignments are designed to develop skills in musical fieldwork, transcription and analysis, as well as preparing and presenting scholarly findings in ethnographic disciplines. This course is aimed primarily for students of music and/or anthropology.
Basic knowledge or experience in world music and performance recommended. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
ANTH 487Theory in Anthropology4
This course introduces students to the broad range of explanations for social and cultural phenomena used by anthropologists since the emergence of the discipline in the 19th century. The course focuses on the development of three broad theoretical approaches: The American school of cultural anthropology, British social anthropology, and the French school that emerged from the work of Durkheim and his followers. The course also examines theoretical approaches such as cultural materialism, and symbolic and interpretive approaches to the study of culture.
Junior or senior standing. Students should have at least two courses in anthropology including ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 , or the permission of the instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
ANTH 602Tutorial2
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
ANTH 603Tutorial3
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
ANTH 604Tutorial4
Closely supervised individual (or very small group) study with a faculty member in which a student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of knowledge not available through the regular catalog offerings.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
ANTH 611Independent Project1
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
ANTH 612Independent Project2
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
ANTH 613Independent Project3
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
ANTH 614Independent Project4
Independent project in Anthropology. Projects might include intensive ethnographic research, the analysis of ethnographic data, or a variety of other projects.
Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
ANTH 621Internship1
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to “study” a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)
ANTH 622Internship2
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to “study” a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)
ANTH 623Internship3
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to “study” a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)
ANTH 624Internship4
Work that involves the student in practical (usually off campus) experience. Students may intern in any of the variety of internships listed by the college or arrange their own internships. Students will be expected to produce an ethnographic paper for the instructor in addition to approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site. Only one internship may count towards an Anthropology major. The department views internships as a valuable experience in which the student has an opportunity to “study” a job. Offered as S/N grading only, but may be included on Anthropology major plans.
